Himchan showed up at Daehyun's apartment as fast as he could after getting the text. He didn't know what the fuss was about though. Daehyun opened the door and welcomed him with screaming and incomprehensible phrases. Himchan had to make him a hot cocoa to calm him down, then Daehyun started talking properly.

    “Me and Dasom have to be in same setting in a few hours”

    “What do you mean by you and Dasom have to be in same setting in a few hours?”

    “Dasom got a photo shoot and since Hyoseong’s in bed, I’ll be the photographer”

    “You know that's not possible, right?” Himchan raised one eyebrow “You can't be the photographer if Dasom is the model, because there's no Dasom, you're Dasom”

    “That’s why I called, so you can tell me what to do”

    “What you can do is to call Youngjae and tell him to get another photographer”

    “I WANT TO BE THE PHOTOGRAPHER”

    “You can't”

    “Why can’t I call Youngjae and tell him to get another model?” Daehyun said “I’d rather be me and take pictures than pretend to be Dasom and pose for pictures”

    “Because there’s many photographers, only one Dasom, right now she’s the main model in Ego, can’t be replaced”

    “I get it, she’s special and unique and I’m just Daehyun, the random guy that doesn’t belong anywhere” Daehyun clenched his jaw “Ok. Dasom won’t quit, neither will I”  

    “You cannot be the photographer” Himchan said “Grab the damn phone and call Youngjae or, better, go upstairs and tell it to his face”

    “NO. NEVER. NO WAY. NEVER EVER. FORGE IT. NOT EVER”

    “I’ll quit for you” Himchan took his cellphone out of the pocket and dialed Youngjae’s number.

    Daehyun went over him and they struggled for the phone.

    “If I quit, Youngjae will chase me down and say hobby, hobby, hobby, hobby, hobby, hobby, hobby, hobby over and over, he’ll mock at my dreams!!! He’ll mock at me!!!”

    “Are you doing this for Youngjae?” Himchan said, stunned “I know you want to bring him to his knees badly, but there's other ways to do that without exposing yourself… We can break his legs, he'll be on his knees for months”

    “It’s not for Youngjae” Daehyun said “It's for me. There won’t be a chance like this as photographer anytime soon”

    “Well, suit yourself, but if anyone finds out your secret, don't come crying to me”

    “You won’t help?”

    “I'm the most awesome stylist ever, not Harry Potter, I can't create another you” Himchan said “Except...”

    “Except?”

    “I have an idea, but it's crazy”

    “We’re already past crazy”

    “Fine, leave it in my hands”

    “Leave you what?”

    “Have some sleep, I have everything under control” Himchan reassured him and left.

Daehyun didn’t get any sleep throughout the night, no matter how confident Himchan was, he didn’t know what his plan was and it terrified him, then Himchan called him at AM 4:44 in the morning, asking him to go to his studio with a dozen coffee.

Chapter 14: Where Are You? What Are You Doing?

“What took you so long?” Himchan asked agitatedly as Daehyun came into the studio.

    “I was looking for coffee” Daehyun showed him several cups “It wasn’t easy at this hour” Daehyun put them on the table and gasped when he realized there were lot of empty coffee cups “How much did you drink?”

    “I don’t know” Himchan tickled “I haven't slept for about 30-odd hours, but I solved your problem”

    “How?”

    “I don’t know”

    “What?”

    Himchan left the studio, leaving Daehyun alone and disoriented, however, the stylist came back soon with a young man in a black hoodie.

    “May I present #7” Himchan pushed the stranger right into Daehyun’s face.

    “Hi… #7?” Daehyun said.

    “#7 is one of the many male models that come through casting calls, he’s about your height and weight, I put a hat on his head and a mask to cover his face and voila!” Himchan removed a red cap and a flu mask from the drawer and put those on the guy.

    “I don't get it”

    “He's you” Himchan said “It's your double”

    “Double? Like in movies?”

    “Yes! Aren’t I smart?” Himchan jumped with excitement “With mask and cap nobody will know he isn't you, then he'll show up at the photo shoot while you pass as Dasom and everybody will think you two are in the same room”

    “Still don’t get it”

    “C’mon!” Himchan shouted “#7 will pass as Daehyun and you’ll tell him how to take pictures, so technically it's you taking the pictures”

    “What if people approach him and talk to him and find that's not me?”

    “If people approach him, he’ll pretend he's busy and whenever they talk to him, he won’t say a word, because his throat is sore with the flu”

    “What if he tells everybody he is not me and the real me is pretending to be Dasom and then everybody will know there’s no Dasom and I’m a ing liar?”

    “He won't” Himchan tapped #7 on the shoulder “If he dares to reveal the truth, I’ll make sure he never works in this business again” Himchan grinned savagely “Fashion business is a and I’m the mother ”

The theme of the photo shoot was evening gowns, so Himchan dressed Daehyun in an elaborate pink dress and took him and his double to the photo studio on the 14th floor of Ego. The staff gathered around the twins to greet them. Dasom smiled and greeted back while Daehyun bowed without a word.

    Jongup was the last one to greet his friends. He first approached Daehyun, but Dasom stopped him with all her might.

    “Hi, Jongup, long time no see” she grabbed him tightly.  

    “Indeed, how are you? I heard you had fever”

    “I had, now I'm fine and you?”

    “I'm fine” Jongup smiled and looked at Daehyun in worry “But Daehyun doesn't seem fine, is he ok?”

    “He has a touch of fever, his throat is sore and everything, you know, don’t go close or you’ll get yourself sick too”

    “Daehyun should be in bed”

    “He couldn’t say no to the photo shoot”

The photo shoot went smoothly, nobody suspected anything, however, Daehyun and Himchan didn't want to press their luck, so they walked out as soon as the shoot finished, they didn’t even say goodbye to the others.

In the meantime Jongup went to the cafeteria and asked the ajumma that ran the place to make a tea with honey and lemon, because he heard his grandma say that tea with honey and lemon was good for sore throats.

    The ajumma happily made the tea and served it in a flask for Jongup. The young man looked for Daehyun everywhere without finding him until he saw a man with red hat and mask going down the hallway towards the elevator.

    “Hey!” Jongup walked stride up to the guy, thinking it’s Daehyun.

    The guy rushed to the elevator and pressed the button for the doors to open, however, the damn doors didn’t and Jongup caught him by the arm and made him turn around, the guy kept his head down as Jongup smiled and said:

    “Dasom told me you're sick and your throat hurts, so I got this for you” Jongup offered the flask to Daehyun “It's green tea with honey and lime”

    Daehyun took the flask and stepped back, Jongup felt his friend was behaving odd, so he held his arm tighter.

    “Are you ok? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

    The man shook his head and got out of Jongup’s grip, then his hat fell off. The younger was about to pick the hat up, but he froze as he saw the man’s face clearly and he realized it wasn’t Daehyun. 

    “Who are you?” Jongup could have sworn the stranger was Daehyun “Did I mistake you…? I’m sure I didn’t… What’s going on? Where’s Daehyun?”

    The model thought about confessing, forgetting Himchan’s threats, but then the elevator's doors finally opened wide and he took advantage of Jongup's confusion and escaped.

    Where is Daehyun? Where is the real Daehyun? Jongup thought, half confused, half worried, so he decided to go to Himchan's studio and ask Dasom.

Jongup turned up at Himchan's studio, the door was open and there was no one around except two voices coming from a folding screen made of crystal.

    “Please, take the damn corset off!!!”

    “I will if you just stop moving!!!”   

    “This thing is choking me!!!”

    Jongup grimaced in confusion, the voice that supposed to be Dasom’s didn’t sound like her at all. It. Sounded. Like. Daehyun.

    Jongup went on his tiptoes and watched over the screen, he expected to find Himchan and Dasom, but he found Himchan and Daehyun. Daehyun was into a purple ball gown with glitter everywhere and Himchan was behind him, trying to undo the corset.

    “Why do I always have to wear these things?!!!” Daehyun complained “We no longer in the 19th!!! Why can't I wear tees and jeans?!!!”

    “Because ball gowns are prettier!!!” Himchan released Daehyun from the corset and Daehyun lost his balance and fell against the pile of clothes on the floor.

    Himchan felt eyes on him, he looked up and found Jongup spying behind the screen.

    “Holy crap” Himchan mumbled, all shook up.

    Daehyun looked in the direction Himchan was looking and he froze as he saw Jongup. Since when Jongup is here? Oh gosh... He knows...

    Jongup pulled away before they could say anything. Daehyun was paralyzed, so Himchan was the one to chase Jongup. The photographer's assistant reached the door and set a foot outside, but he couldn’t go far as Himchan tackled him.

    Daehyun snapped out of his trance as he heard Jongup screaming. He rushed to put on a sweatshirt and wiped the makeup off before coming out of the screen. To his surprise, Jongup was laying facedown on the floor and Himchan was sitting on him.

    “Shut the door” Himchan commanded and Daehyun obeyed “Hand me a scarf”

    “What?”

    “A scarf!”

    Daehyun startled and took the scarf around a mannequin’s neck and gave it to Himchan that used it to tie up Jongup’s hands before making him stand, dragging him to the couch and shoving him against the cushions.

    “Be quiet or I'll stuff your mouth with another scarf” Himchan threatened.

    “What do you think you're doing?” Daehyun asked, concerned. 

    “Stopping him from telling your secret, once he leaves, he'll tell everyone!!!”

    Daehyun stared at Jongup; the younger was mute and poker-faced, it was hard to know what was on his mind.

    “We have to kill him” Himchan said.

    “What?!” Daehyun knitted his brow.

    “If he tells everybody what's going on, we’ll go to jail for faking and forging”

    “If we kill him it'll be worse that going to jail”

    “Not if it’s just between us, I’d never betray you and you’d never betray me, right?”

    “I'm not killing anybody”

    “C’mon, it’s easy! It’s two against one, there’s plenty knives and scissors here”

    “Ok, Himchan, I know you want to help me” Daehyun his friend’s shoulder “But you're talking nonsense” he caressed his back gently “You're tired, you haven't slept in hours, so let’s call a cab”

    Himchan didn’t fight, he was indeed very tired and sleepy. The cab came soon and Daehyun sent him home and then he was left alone to face Jongup and the first thing he did was to untie him.

    “Sorry, Himchan overreacted” Daehyun said without looking Jongup in the eye, he was too ashamed to do that.

    The younger just rubbed his wrists, even though the scarf was the fluffier thing ever, his wrists had red marks.

    “Ok, if you want to punch me, go ahead, I deserve it” Daehyun said.

    “You've been Dasom this whole time?” Jongup asked, low.

    “Yes”

    “So she doesn’t exist… There’s no twins… Just you…”

    “Yes”

    “Why do you go around passing as woman and saying she’s your twin? Is it a ?”

    “It’s a long story”

    “I’m all ears”

    Daehyun sighed and started to tell his story and in the end the only thing he could say it was:

    “I know, this is very screwed up”   

    Daehyun waited for Jongup to say something, but he was detached and didn’t even blink, so Daehyun kept going.

    “I promise I'll quit, me and Dasom will disappear, but please, don’t say anything, let me do it, seriously, you'll never see me again, but don't say anything, especially to Youngjae, he’s very moody, who knows what he'll do to me, just give me the chance to say the truth, I won't bother you again”

    “I won't say anything” Jongup finally said and got out of his seat quickly and left quicker.

    Nice doing, stupid Daehyun, for once in your tiny existence you got a friend who’s passionate about photography and share your dreams and you scare the out of him, Daehyun thought, wanting to beat himself up for being such a liar.